The Hemoglobin Concentrations, Erythrocyte Counts, and Hematocrits of Selected Louisiana Elementary School Children

Abstract

For 515 Louisiana school children, aged 8 to 13, the mean hemoglobin value was 13.1 ± 1.14 gm per 100 ml, with a range of from 6.4 to 16.0. The mean erythrocyte count was 4.89 ± 0.58 million per mm³, with a range of from 3.79 to 5.86. For the hematocrits the mean was 41.3 ± 4.52%, with a range of from 31 to 58. For the MCV the mean was 85 µ³, with a range of from 63 to 117. The mean of the MCH was 27 micro micrograms, with a range of from 19 to 31. For the MCHC, the mean was 31% and the range was from 21 to 44%. One per cent of the cases accounted for mean corpuscular volumes above 109 µ³ and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations above 38%. The mean hematological values were within the generally accepted normal range for children of this age group, and indicated a wide variation among individuals. The differences between the age groups and sexes were not statistically significant. With the hemoglobin values, there were no significant differences among the mean values for the areas. With the erythrocyte counts, there was a significant difference between areas A and B. The differences between the mean hematocrit values of areas A and D, and areas C and D, were also significant. Of the total group, 86.9% of the hemoglobin values, 91.9% of the erythrocyte counts, and 96.3% of the hematocrit values were within the generally accepted normal range for children from 8 to 13 years of age. The corpuscular values were compared to the ranges of these values given by Sturgis ('48) and also by Wintrobe ('46) in classifying anemias. Seventy-five per cent of the Louisiana children were normal according to these standards. The hematological values of this group of Louisiana children were hgiher than those reported for children studied in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. They compared favorably with the hematological values reported for children in North Carolina, Michigan, and Colorado.